![]() In this book, artist and writer Mari Andrew describes "the loop-de-loop zigzagging journey to adulthood" that she is still on. Andrew is a visual artist and many of her most humorous or relatable pieces are sprinkled throughout the book. More than sprinkled actually. It is probably 70% drawings and 30% writing about her life and how she got here. A couple of my friends had read this book and one let me borrow her copy. I loved it and read it in a few hours. Andrew is empowering, relatable, funny, and smart. Even if you are not yet trying to be an adult, I think you will find this book comforting and fun!
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![]() The subtitle of this book is, "A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed." This is an apt description of the narrative threads in this book. Gottlieb describes her path to becoming a therapist, her recent stint seeking therapy, a few character strands that are a mishmash of real stories, and even a layer of science and theory behind therapy. This is next month's book club book, and I really enjoyed reading it. At times I was saddened by the stories and realities, while at other times I felt the triumph of success along with the "characters." It was a poignant experience to read a book about social and emotional health and progress at this time as the pandemic has really shaken those areas for me. Regardless of your personal experiences with therapy, this was a great book. ![]() Girl in Pieces is a heavy book about suicide and self-harm. Charlie who is 17 has a really bad year and loses a lot of people. She turns for the worse and cuts herself and attempts suicide. She ends up being sent to a recovery group where she meets a group of people and she starts her journey in finding herself. She learns to get over what happened and to be happy with herself just the way she is. The book started out a bit confusing and boring at times but as I got to know Charlie and the other characters I grew to love the book. Even though the book is long, it was a quick read for me. I would totally recommend this book for anyone who wants to read a heart wrenching novel. The book teaches a lot about downward spinals and ways to try and cope with them. A lot happens in the book and the ending feels satisfying after all that Charlie went through. -AD, grade 10 ![]() In Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, after a billionaire goes missing, The main character, Aza, and her friend Daisy attempt to locate the billionaire in order to solve the mystery and earn the reward money. As Aza attempts to solve the mystery, her path crosses with her old childhood friend who is the son of the billionaire. Throughout the book, Aza fights against a mental illness which she is desperately trying to control. The book follows Aza’s journey of balancing her education, friendships, and mental health along with attempting to solve an important mystery at the same time.. This book was recommended to me by my sister. The mystery aspect of the book was able to keep me engaged in the story and made me want to continue reading the book to see how the mystery would be solved. I also enjoyed how the author chose to follow the main character's journey through her mental health struggles by going into her mind to show the reader what she was thinking. -MR, grade 10 ![]() In this book, Dr. Rotella describes his philosophy on how exceptional people think and his experiences with some of those people. He has been a sports psychologist for many years and he specializes in working with elite golfers. However, his clientele includes athletes from a variety of sports, as well as business people and even musicians. This book was suggested to me by the internet when I was searching online for sports psychology books. Interestingly, Rotella references John Wooden a bit, of whom I am now well-versed. But beyond Wooden, there were a heap of people in this book I did not know and I actually found Rotella's writing a bit arrogant and long-winded. Every mention of a star felt like a rich guy at a party telling an ego-feeding anecdote about all the good work he has done. After some really influential books, this one fell flat for me. ![]() In this book, Shawn Achor proposes seven concepts to help people be flourishing humans. He supports them by citing studies, both his own and others, and including anecdotal evidence. I watched Achor's TedTalk on this topic in the last couple years and have talked with others who are big fans of his, but I was not compelled to actually pick up the text until my mother handed it to me. Interestingly, it was assigned summer reading for all staff at Dexter Community Schools. What a provocative concept: That the most beneficial text to put in the hands of educators is a psychology book about happiness. While I was primed to appreciate this book, Achor was the one to drive the nail home. His writing is conversational and his research is solid. I definitely recommend this book, to those happy and not-happy-yet. 10-Minute Toughness: The Mental-Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins (Jason Selk)7/1/2019 ![]() In this overly-anecdotal guide to mental fortitude, Self outlines the tenants of his program in what feels like an infomercial. Highlights include: deep breathing, mantras, visualization, and personal identity statements. This book was tough to take in after Zeiger's The Champion Mindset. That book was like a upper-level college class while Selk's 10-Minute Toughness was like the trailer for The Rock's next movie (no diss for The Rock). This book had too much name-dropping and baseball jargon for me to enjoy. I basically skimmed the pages and pulled a few key ideas. ![]() Joanna Zeiger is an endurance athlete. She has competed and coached at the highest level of swim, run, and triathlon. This book melds her personal experience building mental fortitude with the scientific evidence to support her claims. Highlights include: failure, self-talk, visualization, goal-setting, motivation, mantras, competition anxiety, and leadership and integrity. This book was the first in my independent study of sports psychology and mental toughness this summer. And let me tell you, it was a winner! Most of Zeiger's points were affirmative, while others were informative. She is present on each page of the book but does not skimp on the scientific or the anecdotal evidence. Great read, highly recommend for people who compete. ![]() In each chapter of this book, lifestyle influencer Rachel Hollis admits a lie she has told herself at some time, and then details how that lie is destructive or limiting in some way and how she realized a truth in order to challenge the lie. The ultimate message of the book is that you are the one who change your daily practices and create larger change for your life. Hollis communicates this message through her intersectional identity as a mother, wife, entrepreneur, woman, religious Christian, white person, trauma survivor, and more facets of her unique voice. My sister requested this book as gift last winter, so I bought it for her and promptly asked to read it when she was done. With a title like Girl, Wash Your Face, I knew I was onboard. Hollis' faith gives her strength in many of her beliefs about life. Regardless of the beliefs of the reader, her words are relatable, endearing, and positive. ![]() In this latest book from celebrity Chelsea Handler, she opens up about her transition towards having a more serious impact in this world. Handler's book is structured around her progress with a new therapist in the years between her E! show and new Netflix ventures. I have been a fan of Chelsea Handler since her E! show for her apparent honesty amidst the veil across the celebrity community. Her words pack a punch and they continue to do so in this book. Handler's writing is relatable and entertaining. |
J. HiEBERBibliophile Archives
June 2020
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